CRN to host free webinar on supplement regs for Pharmacist Society

WASHINGTON — Dietary supplement usage is up among Americans, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report released earlier this year — half of all U.S. adults supplement their diets, most likely with a multivitamin. And pharmacists are the No. 2 go-to source (behind doctors) for information around those supplements — according to a Council for Responsible Nutrition Survey on Dietary Supplements.

As a pharmacist, are you prepared to answer their questions?

CRN announced plans to host a free webinar on dietary supplement regulation via the professional networking website Pharmacist Society, an online community sponsored by the Drug Store News Group that enables its members to have easy access to information most relevant to pharmacists. The webinar is part of CRN’s ongoing initiative through the Pharmacist Society to help provide accurate information about the dietary supplement industry to pharmacists.

The webinar will be held Dec. 14 and will be presented by Annette Dickinson, CRN consultant and former CRN president. Dickinson has more than 30 years experience in the dietary supplement industry and specializes in regulation. The webinar will offer an historical perspective, leading up to an overview of current-day dietary supplement regulation. Following her presentation, participants will have the opportunity to ask questions via a live on-line Q&A chat. Pharmacist Society site is a closed-loop environment for members only; so the webinar will not be open to the public.

“Pharmacists are a very important audience for our industry, as consumers tell us pharmacists are one of their most highly trusted sources for information about dietary supplements," stated Judy Blatman, SVP communications at CRN. "Working with Pharmacist Society is a forward-thinking and efficient way for us to reach this segment of the healthcare community … There’s a lot of misinformation about dietary supplement regulation, and we’re pleased to have the opportunity to help shed some light on the subject for the pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other individuals who participate in this webinar.”

CRN joined Pharmacist Society earlier this year, representing the dietary supplement industry. As a member of Pharmacist Society, CRN posts news and background information relevant to pharmacists, conducts online surveys to learn about what’s important to pharmacists, and is available as a resource for its growing number of “friends and followers” to answer any questions they may have about dietary supplements. CRN queried its 2,300 followers to determine which topics would be of most interest for a webinar on dietary supplements: regulation was the most requested topic among the community.

“CRN’s successful integration into Pharmacist Society has been a tremendous boon to the site and we are pleased that the association is using this unique component of the site to have a real-time conversation with users on a subject of importance to both CRN and the pharmacists,” stated Wayne Bennett, publisher, Drug Store News Group. “This tool is a great way to speak with and engage pharmacists. As with any growing social networking platform, the opportunity is to find fun and interesting ways to make users want to keep coming back."

Pharmacist Society was launched Nov. 1, 2010. Among the many useful applications is the ability to post news and press releases, a message board area to start conversations on topics of interest, a section where users can conduct online polls and the ability to host online webcam chats and webinars. Drug Store News is the multimedia industry news and information leader serving retail pharmacy industry executives, decision makers and influencers in print, online and at events.

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